Web pages often include icons, such as, corporate logos, patterns, characters, symbols or other indicators, that a user associates with a particular offering in the real world. A trust or good will is often associated with the recognition of a given set of icons. These icons are implemented, for example, as bitmaps, but unfortunately, these bitmaps can be copied and used to defraud a prospective customer. Additionally, customers rely on the accuracy of a URL of a web page. However, it is relatively easy for a “fraudster” to register a URL that is like the one the user is expecting, but is not quite the same. For example, “www.bigbank.com” vs. “www.bigbank.com” (with an “I” instead of an “i”). Thus, a user may retrieve an unwanted webpage that appears authentic. Therefore, the user may not always be confident that the web page being viewed is authentic and the true owner of a web page may be uncertain.
In addition to a user's lack of confidence in the true owner of a web page, there currently exists a problem (either real or perceived) in the transport of UserIDs/Passwords across the Internet. While most sites provide security, for example by using a secure protocol such as Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS) for sensitive data, most consumers are complacent about checking for this security. Thus, a need exists for a system and method that allow a page to be authenticated so that a user feels secure in the authenticity of pages displayed from Internet sites.